Access key transmission over personal area networks in vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10742403-B2
Application number	US-201816216406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes a controller. The controller is configured to send a nonce encrypted according to a symmetric encryption key. The nonce is sent responsive to receiving a pair request over a personal area network from a nomadic device outside the vehicle. The controller is further configured to initialize a secure connection using a random key and permit vehicle access according to data received via the secure connection. The initialization is responsive to receiving a concatenation of the random key and an incrementation of the nonce encrypted with the symmetric encryption key.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to,
responsive to a pair request over a personal network from a nomadic device outside the vehicle, send a nonce encrypted according to a symmetric encryption key, and
responsive to receiving a concatenation of a random key and an incrementation of the nonce encrypted with the symmetric encryption key, initialize a secure connection using the random key and permit vehicle access according to data received via the secure connection, wherein the pair request includes a key identifier associated with the symmetric encryption key at a key distribution server, and further wherein the key distribution server includes a plurality of key identifier and symmetric encryption key pairs associated with the vehicle and available for distribution upon authorization of a primary account holder.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a cypher associated with the symmetric encryption key includes a signature to verify authenticity of the symmetric encryption key.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the symmetric encryption key is issued with the vehicle during manufacture.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the symmetric encryption key is created by the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the personal network is in compliance with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard 802.15.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the nomadic device defines the random key from user input.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein permitting vehicle access includes unlocking doors of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein permitting vehicle access includes activation of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to,
responsive to receiving a nonce encrypted according to a symmetric encryption key associated with an identifier, send a predetermined incrementation of the nonce concatenated with a random key encrypted according to the symmetric encryption key, and
responsive to pairing with a device sending the nonce, operate the vehicle according to commands received from a secure connection with the device based on the random key over a personal network.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the key identifier is associated with the symmetric encryption key at a key distribution server.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the key distribution server includes a plurality of key identifier and symmetric encryption key pairs associated with the vehicle and available for distribution upon authorization of a primary account holder.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein a cypher associated with the symmetric encryption key includes a signature to verify authenticity of the symmetric encryption key.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the symmetric encryption key is issued with the vehicle during manufacture.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the symmetric encryption key is created by the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein operation of the vehicle includes unlocking doors of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein operation of the vehicle includes activation of the vehicle.

17. A method comprising:
by a controller of a vehicle, responsive to receiving a pair request over a personal area network from a nomadic device outside the vehicle, sending a nonce encrypted according to a symmetric encryption key, and
responsive to receiving a concatenation of a random key and an incrementation of the nonce, initializing a secure connection using the random key and permit vehicle access according to data received via the secure connection.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Schubert Jochen
• Nelson Thomas

Classifications

• H04W12/0471

  Key exchange · CPC title

• H04W12/50

  Secure pairing of devices · CPC title

• H04W12/0431

  Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement · CPC title

• G07C9/00309

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title

• B60R2325/108

  Encryption · CPC title